Cardinal Orlando B. Quevedo, the first cardinal from Mindanao in the southern Philippines, received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from San Beda University on July 30 in recognition of his decades of pastoral leadership, peacebuilding, and commitment to interfaith dialogue.
The university conferred the honorary degree during its commencement exercises at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, citing Cardinal Quevedo's significant contributions to the Catholic Church and Philippine society.
In its citation, the university highlighted Cardinal Quevedo's two decades as Metropolitan Archbishop of Cotabato, where he served a region long affected by armed conflict, poverty, and cultural divisions. It also recognized his pastoral leadership as bishop of Kidapawan and archbishop of Nueva Segovia.
San Beda further honored Cardinal Quevedo as a co-founder of the Bishops-Ulama Conference in 1996, crediting him with advancing dialogue and reconciliation among Christians, Muslims, and Indigenous Lumad communities in Mindanao. The university described him as "Mindanao's Man of Peace" for his lifelong efforts to build bridges across religious and cultural boundaries.
Addressing the graduates, Cardinal Quevedo reflected on the meaning of peace, drawing on the teaching of St. Augustine of Hippo, who described peace as "the tranquility of order" rooted in right relationships.
"Peace agreements may be signed. Handshakes may be done, but lasting peace does not necessarily result," Cardinal Quevedo said.
He stressed that authentic peace begins in the human heart through love of God and neighbor.
"Peace is from the heart," Cardinal Quevedo said. "True love is from the heart."
Days before receiving the honorary degree, the 87-year-old Cardinal Quevedo traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he received the inaugural Harmony in Diversity Award from the Temasek Foundation and the 5P Global Movement.
The award recognizes individuals across Southeast Asia who have made significant contributions to promoting harmony among diverse cultures and communities. More than 70 nominations from across the region were considered.
In announcing the award, the organizers described Cardinal Quevedo as "a unifying figure" who has consistently promoted a "dialogue of life" through everyday encounters among people of different faiths and communities.
The recognition also echoes the message of the recently concluded 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) in Jakarta, which brought together more than 120 Church leaders from across Asia to renew the Church's mission of becoming "bridges and bridge-builders" through dialogue, reconciliation, and communion.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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